The other day – a day when I had visited the Kurt Schwitters show at Tate Britain for the second time – I started to get caught by the Tweets of Patti Agapi (@MadwithRapture), an artist from Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Patti has decided to do a collage a day for a year and already she is producing some great little pieces.

Now, Patti describes herself as: “Ever evolving fine artist – abstract mixed media & collage art”. Note that! She already is doing collages every day probably, so why am I taking this on? In all my years I have rarely used collage or even assemblage (I trained as a sculptor). I probably have not done more than 20 bits of collage in my life!!! Well that sounds like a pretty good reason I suppose. It won’t do me any harm to try something new and get a bit of practice in and my work has begun to include found items and manipulated paper forms.

Another thing is I hate committing myself to anything much really – even things I really want to do! So it is quite a big thing for me to make a public commitment to produce a small work each day for a year.

Now Patti has asked me to use the hashtag #Collage365 to identify my posts on Twitter and her criteria are “a small collage a day, every day for a year…abstract, mixed media, bits of paper & scribbles.” Like I say, I am not great with making commitments, so I am not going to confine myself with a particular size, though I can’t see myself making anything particularly large at this time. And I am not so sure about only abstract or just bits of paper! We will see.

I have been working with a mental health peer support group, incorporating creative writing and art, and a while back someone suggested our “homework” should be “something like Francesca did”. She had brought in a complex, highly textured collage she had created. I didn’t do a collage but I wrote a light-hearted ditty covering the art history of the collage which you can read at Something Like Francesca Did.

#Collage365 exhibition

I showed a representative selection of my #Collage365 pieces in the foyer and cafe at Bridport Arts Centre
, South Street, Bridport Dorset DT6 3NR from 11 November to 23 December 2014

What is it all about?

The idea is a collage a day for a year. 365 images one after another on a daily basis. I am clearly deranged to tackle such a project.

My definition of collage is pretty loose: paper, scissors and glue will normally be involved. The aim is small and quick but I will go where it takes me and if it turns into assemblage so be it. Daubing and scribbling are definitely allowed.

Abstract by and large but recognisable images are not banned.

All work is for sale. So don't be shy, if you like something contact me art@davidsmithartist.net and we can agree a remarkably reasonable price.